I'm president - Togo candidate

2005-04-27 17:06

Lome - Togo's opposition candidate, Emmanuel Akitani Bob declared himself president on Wednesday after disputed election results showed he garnered only a third of the vote, and called on his supporters to "resist till final victory".

"Togolese, your president is speaking to you, yes, your president, because we did not lose the presidential elections," the 74-year-old said in a speech in front of a number of journalists.

"The struggle will be long, but the struggle of the people is invincible," he added.

"Our power, your power, the power of the people must be restored."

"Resist, resist until the final victory," he urged opposition supporters who battled security forces in the streets of Lome after Tuesday's announcement that ruling party candidate Faure Gnassingbe had won 60% of the votes cast in Sunday's poll.

- SAPA